Pacific Palisades

Pacific Palisades

Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood and district in the Westside city of Los Angeles, California, located among Brentwood to the east, Malibu and Topanga to the west, Santa Monica to the southeast, the Santa Monica Bay to the southwest, and the Santa Monica Mountains to the north. The area currently has about 27,000 residents. It is primarily a residential area, with a mixture of large private homes, small (usually older) houses, condominiums, and apartments. Every 4th of July, the community’s Chamber of Commerce sponsors day-long events which include 5K and 10K runs, a parade down Sunset Boulevard, and a fireworks display at Palisades High School football field. The district also includes some large parklands and many hiking trails. The Pacific Palisades is known as “Where The Mountains Meet the Sea” and is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities and luminaries.

Areas

The Alphabet Streets also known as “North Village,” are north of Sunset Blvd, and are characterized by narrow streets. The street names are consecutively named beginning with A, B, C, D, etc. – hence the name Alphabet Streets. The streets are named after Methodist Bishops of the late 19th and early 20th century. It is a popular destination for trick-or-treaters on Halloween.

The Bluffs are located further out-of-town west along Sunset Boulevard and start past Palisades Charter High School and Via de la Paz. They extend for a long distance between Sunset Blvd. and the Palisades Bluffs.

Castellammare is located on small bluffs directly on the ocean. The narrow, winding streets have Italian names. It is the home of the Getty Villa. It is located where Sunset Blvd meets Pacific Coast Highway.

Huntington Palisades is close to the ‘village’ proper, and is more of a typical suburb. It is located south of Sunset Blvd. The houses on the ridge of the Huntington Palisades look out onto the Pacific Ocean. It is also home to the largest park of the Palisades, the Palisades Park. It has four baseball diamonds, eight tennis courts, two indoor basketball courts, a hockey rink, dog parks, and multiple playgrounds.

Marquez Knolls is a large area of homes, known for spectacular ocean views, and is located farther west on Sunset Blvd on a mountain upslope. The lower upslope was first developed in the early 1950s and mid-1960s by the Earl Lachman family. Marquez Elementary services the neighborhood along with a small shopping center on Marquez Street and Sunset Blvd.

Palisades Highlands is a community near the end of Sunset Blvd., bordering Topanga. About five minutes away from the center of the Pacific Palisades, the Palisades Village, The Highlands could almost be considered its own separate community up Palisades Dr.

The Riviera features The Riviera Country Club, a high-end country club, and streets named after various locations in the French and Italian Riviera. The neighborhood is divided into north and south sections by Sunset Boulevard. It borders Santa Monica and Brentwood. Riviera Country club hosts the Northern Trust Open on the PGA Tour in February; the tournament was originally named the Los Angeles Open.

Rustic Canyon features post-war homes located on the former polo field of The Uplifters, the original site of The Uplifters clubhouse (now a city park) and the “cabins” developed as second homes and weekend retreats. This area is also known as Uplifter’s Ranch. Located off Sunset Blvd. between The Riveria and Huntington Palisades. Above the canyon lies Will Rogers State Historic Park.